Definitions and Characteristics Flashcards
Empiricism
The practice of objective observation of the phenomena of interest.
Determinism
The universe is a lawful and orderly place in which all phenomena occur as the result of other events.
Parsimony
Parsimony requires that all simple, logical explanations for the phenomena under investigation be ruled out, experimentally or conceptually, before more complex or abstract explanations are considered. (Use the simplest explanation, the one that requires the fewest assumptions)
Philosophic doubt
The attitude of philosophic doubt requires the scientist to continually question the truthfulness of what is regarded as fact.
Methodological behaviorism
A philosophical position that views behavioral events that cannot be publicly observed as outside the realm of science.
Radical behaviorism
A thoroughgoing form of behaviorism that attempts to understand all human behavior, including private events such as thoughts and feelings, in terms of controlling variables in the history of the person (ontogeny) and the species (phylogeny).
Experimental analysis of behavior (EAB)
A natural science approach to the study of behavior as a subject matter in its own right founded by B. F. Skinner.
Applied behavior analysis (ABA)
The science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are applied to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to identify the variables responsible for the improvement in behavior.
Behavior trap
An interrelated community of contingencies of reinforcement that can be especially powerful, producing substantial and long-lasting behavior changes.
Effective behavior traps share four essential features:
1) They are “Baited” with virtually irresistible reinforcers that “lure” the student to the trap; 2) only a low effort response already in the student’s repertoire is necessary to enter the trap; 3) once inside the trap, interrelated contingencies of reinforcement motivate the student to acquire, extend, and maintain targeted academic and/or social skills; and (4) they can remain effective for a long time because students show few, if any, satiation effects.
Adjunctive behavior
Behavior that occurs as a collateral effect of a schedule of periodic reinforcement for other behavior; time-filling or interim activities (e.g., doodling, idle talking, smoking, drinking) that are induced by schedules of reinforcement during times when reinforcement is unlikely to be delivered.
Abolishing operation (AO)
A type of MO that decreases the reinforcing effectiveness of some stimulus, object, or event.
Ex: The reinforcing effectiveness of food is abolished as a result of food ingestion.
Establishing operation (EO)
A type of MO that increases (establishes) the effectiveness of some stimulus, object, or event as a reinforcer.
Ex: Food deprivation establishes food as an effective reinforcer.
Motivating operation (MO)
An environmental variable that:
(a) alters (increases or decreases) the reinforcing or punishing effectiveness of some stimulus, object, or event; and
(b) alters (increases or decreases) the current frequency of all behavior that has been reinforced or punished by that stimulus, object or event.
Abative effect (of a MO)
A decrease in the current frequency of behavior that has been reinforced by the stimulus that is increased in reinforcing effectiveness by the same MO.
Ex: Food ingestion abates (decreases the current frequency of) behavior that has been reinforced by food.
Evocative effect (of a MO)
An increase in the current frequency of behavior that has been reinforced by the stimulus that is increased in reinforcing effectiveness by the same MO.
Ex: Food deprivation evokes (increases the current frequency of) behavior that has been reinforced by food.
